Blacksmiths Arms in St Albans

Cooked well, but the quality of the meat and food was awful, id expect it for half the price

Always good for after work drinks and bar food.

Well priced lunch menu and good selection of beers

Chloe was lovely, so caring and attentive. Had a lovely time, happy to come back and will recommend to friends and family.

A great brunch! Drinks were filled quickly, food was lovely! Chloe was a brilliant server - hopefully next time we come we get her!

We came here for my cousin’s birthday and had the absolute best time!! Lovely, welcoming atmosphere, never felt rushed or like we were being too loud— even though we were a massive group!! The bottomless brunch was great— both the food and drinks were perfect. Beth took our orders throughout the afternoon and was so sweet!! She really made sure everyone was happy and always had a drink ❤️ literally can’t sing her praises enough, she was amazing x

Chloe was fantastic, she lifted our spirits and after a hard week made the weekend a good laugh whilst remaining professional. Couldn’t recommend more.

Visited Blacksmiths arms Saturday night to catch some live music and my god it was amazing experience. The prices are ok and the service is great.

An amazing day out. Best cocktails and fantastic service provided by Chloe. Good range in cocktails and nothing was too much. Food was fantastic.

One of the best brunches we've had. Drinks kept on flowing and plenty of variety to choose from. The food was very good, made to a high standard and with generous portions. Will definitely be going back, SOON. Highly recommended if you like a busy pub atmosphere, plenty to drink with good food, this is the place. 👌🏾

Great large garden was ideal for a large group of friends. Service was very efficient. While I wasn't able to try the food others in the party were more than happy with what they ate.

Good choice of ales and lovely staff to serve you.

Really good brunch food, delicious. And plentiful alcohol. Would really recommend, and Chloe was a really attentive server.

Reunion lol...70s band playing. What a laugh 😃 pub needs a refurb tbh but the music and buzz makes up for it.i.wont be posting photos haha! Was a late one!

Beth was an amazing sever, we were loud and a lot to deal with and she didn’t even blink. She was lovely and attentive, very helpful and a great person! Food was brilliant and all the drinks were fab!

We had a fantastic time at Bottomless Brunch! Beth was our server and she was amazing, put up with us after 52 drinks aha. Great fun! 🍾☺️

Had bottomless brunch for my best friend’s birthday and we all had an amazing time! The drinks were so good and so was the food. Our server Beth was also lovely. She was very attentive and gave us everything we needed in a timeless manner. She was really kind and patient considering she was dealing with our slightly rowdy group of 9. Couldn’t have asked for a better staff member. Thank you!!

Was a great time. The barmaid Beth was excellent and very helpful during our visit. Great food and great atmosphere Would definitely come again.

Lovely venue, went to watch a band play, friendly staff, good value.

Great and convenient location. The manager could do with a bit more cheer - seems absolutely miserable every time I see him and it's a bit of a mood dampener. One thing I DO NOT recommend is to make a reservation at the pub. I made a reservation for a party of 10 and specifically requested to have it outside and with a good view of the football. On the day, they did not even have the reservation in place for me and it was not pleasant seeing a new and inexperienced barman be left - totally alone and without guidance - to sort this situation out. They couldn't find a place for me outside and we had to make do with two completely different tables hastily cobbled together, and without a good view of the footy. Love the bouncers, they're top lads who put you at ease. Mostly the barstaff are fine, but they clearly need a more thorough training regimen for new staff and to ensure they do not throw their new staff in the deep end so to speak. They need to sort out their online booking - actual table reservation pipeline, especially seeing as I had to put down a £20 non-refundable deposit to make the reservation (the money HAS to be spent at the bar). They need to make sure someone actually reads the special requests box and actually reserves the proper space!!! Manager needs to cultivate a more positive and approachable aura around him even if, ESPECIALLY if things at the pub are busy and hectic. As it is, there are better pubs nearby. Check them out. EDIT FOLLOWING RESPONSE: I can not take calls because I am deaf, hence the online booking. The information I put in the special request box was clear enough, and your lack of reactivity to it is inexcusable. I am quite frankly shocked to see you lie about my arrival time. I remember that day well and ensured that I arrived on time because I was organising a lads' meet up. I guess you are "playing" to the online audience, but as a local I am outraged at this type of attitude from you. I did not talk to you that day, but I frequent regularly and see you often. A serious, stiff guy. On the day, the inexperienced staff kept asking you questions about my booking. Gave me the same vibe as this argumentative response. If you only improve one thing based on my feedback, make it your attitude.

This pub is most definitely NOT dog friendly! It is a lovely pub with a good atmosphere - but we were left disappointed by the service and messaging. We had been able to buy drinks, sit down outside (it was almost empty) and chat for about 10 minutes before we were told it was not dog friendly after: (1) 8PM from one staff member; and (2) 8:30PM from another staff member due to a “licensing issue”. I had checked the website beforehand to confirm it was a dog friendly pub. There was no mention of this timing issue on the website! I have since rechecked the website and again cannot find such a specification. We were not even allowed to finish our drinks and instead given plastic cups! Another customer even remarked that the pub was empty and the dog was not causing an issue. We took our drinks in plastic cups to the Peacock who were much more friendly and welcoming - even with drinks from another pub. I’d suggest that the website is updated to be accurate and that common sense is applied next time - being able to finish the drinks would have made a world of different to the service and we would have been much more understanding. [EDIT AFTER READING THE RESPONSE: to clarify, we left as soon as we were asked to - we were not asked multiple times. We were respectful and understood the pub’s position. It is nonetheless misleading that it is not on the website as you have confirmed. However, given this, it does not surprise me that your own staff do not know when this restriction kicks in from!]

Pleasant pub with a wide range of drinks.

We can't recommend this place enough for the bottomless brunch. Seven of us came on Tuesday evening for my daughter's 18th. Service from Beth was absolutely fantastic. She looked after us really well and she made the celebration perfect. Food was great and we were never without drinks. We will definitely be booking again. No affiliation, just very happy customers 🙂

Came to the blacksmith arms yesterday for my 18th birthday and the bottomless brunch… It was a group of 7 of us and we couldn’t have asked for a better time. Beth our waitress was so attentive, efficient and really made the experience worth it. The cocktails were gorgeous and the food was great! I would definitely recommend the blacksmith arms for their bottomless brunch because they definitely know how it should be done and they do it right. Thank you Beth for your amazing service!

Fantastic pub with an excellent garden in St Albans. The staff is friendly, service is superb, the food is lovely, highly recommended!

Lovely pub with an excellent garden. Service was very good and a decent selection of drinks on tap. As it was a sunny evening we sat in the garden and despite being next to a busy road you could not hear any traffic due to the garden being enclosed. Lots of seating available so it's perfect for an afternoon in the sun. The garden is decorated brilliantly with a beach sort of vibe as there are beach huts on one side and a summer house type structure on another side. The garden is dog friendly but I believe only until 8pm

They said dogs are welcome, but we went for dinner and the waitress said dogs are not allowed after 8pm, so weird. Not coming back

A village pub with a total moron at the door.

Great bottomless brunch- very attentive, Alfie in particular was fantastic with service and vibes. Definitely will be returning!

Disappointed with the visit last weekend. My white wine was spilled as it was poured into the glass. No attempt was made to top up what had fallen on the floor and I was told it was only a tiny bit when I pointed it out. The glass had lipstick on it, so I asked for a fresh glass of wine. A glass was taken from the just opened dishwasher and the wine was poured from the lipstick glass into the hot from the dishwasher glass. More wine dribbled onto the floor as it was transferred. I asked the staff member for a fresh glass of wine due to the lipstick and the hot glass. I was told there was nothing wrong with the wine. I was told that lipstick glass was clean, as it had been through the dishwasher, then the staff member walked off to serve someone else. I couldn't believe I'd been blanked like that. I went out to my friends in the garden and relayed my story. A friend went in to get some ice for my wine to chill it. He was denied even 1 cube of ice, as they were running out. I understand the bar was busy, but this was poor customer service. We've been to the Blacksmiths several times, but we're not going back. We're sticking with The Mermaid and The Cock, as we're treated better in those places.

Didn't have food just a drink but will definitely go back great atmosphere and the garden is amazing

Disappointing food, had to send it back, took over an hour to arrive and it's wasn't even busy! It looks like it could be a nice place to drink, Lovely outdoor space and some decent beers.

Had a great bottomless brunch! Constant drinks with a great selection and the food was really nice too. Tash didn’t let us go without a drink! Will definitely come again

At the chic bistro nestled along the bustling city street, Tash presided over the bottomless brunch with effortless grace. The morning sunlight danced through the large windows, casting a warm glow over her as she greeted each guest with a radiant smile. Her charm was as bottomless as the mimosas, effortlessly weaving conversations between tables, making everyone feel like a cherished friend. With each pour of bubbly and every plate of delectable brunch fare, Tash's infectious energy filled the room, turning a simple meal into a vibrant celebration of life and good company. It was more than just a brunch; it was an experience curated by Tash, where every moment felt like a sip of joy in an endless glass of laughter.

Best Fish and Chips in the toon

About 30% of the food in the "vegi breakfast" I ordered didn't turn up. When I queried it I was told "sorry we should have told you". No money off/anything offered.

We ordered 2 “Veggie Eggie Breakfast” at the bar, paying up front and leaving a tip. When our food arrived, neither plates had the fried eggs or the toasted bread roll as described on the menu. After asking the bar team why we were missing 2 of the meal items, they told us they were “out” of eggs and bread rolls. The staff member said “I should have told you before.” We were not offered any substitutions or given a refund for the missing items. We also ordered 2 cappuccinos and nachos which were fine, but did not include rocket as described. However, not getting 2 of the brunch items we paid for leads me to leave 1 star. Would recommend going elsewhere for food.

Went for bottomless brunch. Had an amazing time and will definitely be coming again ! We was served by a lovely boy called Charlie who made sure we was always topped up. Great service ! Such a good price and great portion sizes and drink selection.

Charlie was amazing thank you for being a great host! Food was great and drink was flowing! Charlie was very attentive and couldn’t do enough

Visited half way through the Wednesday night table quiz. They kindly let us join for the 2nd half. Really fun bar. Mainly a young crowd. Good beer selection and really nice atmosphere.

best server ever Naomi was the best and she is so attentive and catered for our every need ! She is so lovely and asked if we wanted any more drinks she was constantly asking if we were okay and if we needed more! Best waiter ever

Naomi was the best waitress, she always made sure our drinks were topped off and made sure we had the best time. Would definitely come again!!

Went for bottomless brunch, had the best time and was served by Naomi. She had amazing service and couldn’t do enough for us, always had drinks and went above and beyond for us!

Great Lunch & Drink menu. Good selection of food and a generous portion. The bartender and server were all very friendly and I felt very comfortable here.

Bottomless brunch with friends. Had a brilliant time and we were very well looked after by our server, Charlie. He couldn’t do enough for us. Unfortunately we were seated under a television which was showing the football game on full blast but that didn’t spoil our fun!

Our serve Beth was brilliant, very attentive and looks after us very well! Would definitely Recommend also coming here for a brunch

We had a great brunch at the blacksmith arms, Alfie’s service was second to none would definitely recommend this pub great atmosphere and lovely staff

We had a fab brunch at the blacksmith arms, Alife was the best server! He kept us topped up alllll brunch and had great fun! All the staff are unreal! We will defo be back

Great value for money! Had such a nice time and our waitress Naomi was incredible! Cocktails were awesome and service was 100%

29th March (bank holiday Friday) Alfie was a top top man. Looked after us brilliantly and a great down to earth lad who served our ever need before we knew we needed. Honestly recommend to come here to anyone!!! What a place!!

Alfie is the goat, I got a kg of wings and he believed in me to finish every step of the way, despite offering him one he wanted me to finish it! He is the goat of service great laugh great human, if you get a bottomless and Alfie’s cute smile looks at you. You’re in for a great night - beware you will be double parked all the time. P.S a kilogram of wings is a lot more that you think

Alfie was amazing at our service for our brunch! Really friendly and really efficient. Thank you so much for the great hospitality

Beth was a fantastic waitress. Really on the ball. The food and drink was great as usual. Would definitely recommend ro friends and family.

Old local pub. I'm not sure about the layout. Just popped in for a drink, and it looks busy weekends. Serves neck oil, which is a plus. Good garden for the summer.

Bottomless Brunch excellent value staff were lovely

I arranged to meet a friend at the blacksmiths arms. After walking to the bar I met my friend. It is around 2 30 pm in the afternoon. The Barman comes over and I order a pint, he says he can’t serve me. I asked why. He said it’s been something that has been discussed. I hadn’t visited the blacksmiths for 3 months before this. So I ask the barman ‘ is it something I’ve done here or somewhere else? His response is to say that he can’t tell me why. I understand he has a right to refuse service without giving a reason as I have worked in similar roles over the years. So I waited for my friend to down his pint then we went opposite to another pub. The whole time there was a lady bartender Standing in the background who wanted to stare at me but not talk to me. Is it because I walked in with a walking stick so can’t walk straight due to arthritis? Or is it because I have AUTISM and don’t look at people in the correct way ? I have been drinking in the blacksmiths arms since I was 18 years old. Now I am 44 years old.

Enjoyed a bottomless brunch on Wednesday staff very good excellent value.

I went for a bottomless brunch last weekend, and it’s probably the best bottomless, I have ever been to - the selection of drinks is amazing, the food was lovely and best of all was our server Alfie - he went above and beyond and was so attentive and friendly, there is literally nothing more could I ask for. Would definitely recommend and will be going again!

We came in for a bottomless brunch and were served by Alfie. What a lovely guy he should be promoted honestly couldn't fault him

Great pub to watch the sport and a good selection of beers

Popped in for a quick drink & stayed for 2 hours to watch Rugby although couldn’t sit as very busy but felt very welcoming. Loved the garden.

We had an awesome time at the Blacksmiths Arms. We went for a family lunch, and watched a bit of the darts on the screens. The chicken meals were cooked to perfection. We had a minor slip up with one of the orders but that was quickly rectified. And they have done an excellent job of catering for people with food allergies/intolerances.

First time visited, a fab bar well worth a visit xx

So happy to see Yestie Boys on tap, been wanting to try some of their beer for ages so chuffed to bits about that. Other than that, lovely outside garden area which I'll definitely be back to shortly

Excellent food friendly staff bottomless brunch

Good for sport, I'm way too old now...

Food was late compared to everybody else's, chips arrived cold and not exactly fresh. And they never refunded us for the cauliflower that they didn't have ! Not an happy bunny about this

Lovely friendly staff. Nice pub food.

Live music, good beer, good atmosphere, what's not to love!

We visited the Blacksmiths for our works Christmas party. We had pre-booked all the food and some bottles for the table which made for a very organised evening, the staff knew who each meal was for and were very efficient and friendly. The food was really nice, we had chosen from a selection of starters and mains from the Christmas menu. After the food there was live band who were really good with a broad selection of covers to please pretty much anyone. If I had one slight criticism and this didn't distract from the evening, there were only two people behind the bar so getting served was a bit slow. Other than that it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening in a nice pub.

Visited on a dreary Monday for a pitstop lunch on our way elsewhere. Staff were very friendly and appreciably accommodating of our new-born, however sadly the food and facilities were a bit of a let down given the price point. I couldn't detect any hint of the bacon & onion jam in my beef burger, while my partner's halloumi tacos tasted bland and had poor portioning of ingredients. Sadly the disabled toilet had quite an odour to it and was freezing cold, guaranteeing our baby ended up screaming the house down. Cokes tasted weak (low syrup) and the glasses seemed quite mucky (seemed like more than just water marks). Overall, while the Blacksmith's Arms certainly doesn't claim to be a gastropub, I'd say for the same £ ballpark you could be going to one.

Always a good place to go for sports, probably lacking with the staff on shift during big match days (London Darby being the one I noticed most) Overall good food, good pints.

Beth was our waitress and we was given the best service! Hands down the best bottomless brunch I’ve ever had. Attentive and lovely.

Beth was our server for Bottonless Brunch, super friendly and attentive making sure all our needs and wants were met! Bottomless Brunch was a great value for money, nice food, great drinks, fab vibe, and even better service. Will definitely be back for another bottomless brunch and drinks with friends.

Amazing spot, Beth was a great server and was very prompt ,fast service and great drinks, will be back again :)

Come here for bottomless brunch, menu is very good with options to add upgrades. The food was very tasty and the service was impeccable. Our sever Beth was quick with getting our drinks orders and the drinks to us, had Prosecco on the table which was replaced each time the bottle was empty. Cocktails were stronggggg. Good atmosphere. One of the better bottomless brunches I’ve done would deffo recommend :)

Thank you Beth for looking after us so well on our bottomless brunch. The service was top notch and the drinks were free flowing and the cocktails were yummy. The only downside was the food but as long as you go with the attitude its drinks with some food, then you will be fine. They had the football on but it wasn’t too loud. So all in all a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Brilliant brunch and a brilliant bar made Beth made it a fantastic day out with my mates for a few drinks. Great value brunch

A brilliant place for a brunch in St Albans. Beth was fantastic and would highly recommend. Food was really nice and the service was better

Such an amazing experience. Greeted by Steve the manager & taken to our reserved table. The good was fantastic, the bottomless kept on flowing and Beth our waitress was brilliant and so attentive she just kept us topped up on drinks for the whole 2 hour booking. The lovely thing was you could mix cocktails with Prosecco so the choices suited us all. I would highly recommend this bottomless brunch.

I had the Bottomless Brunch with friends yesterday. We were welcomed by Steve who explained it all to us. Beth was our host, she was absolutely brilliant, she’s friendly, attentive and looked after us really well, making sure we were never without a drink. The food was delicious and there was a great choice of drinks. I will certainly be back, next time with my husband as he said it’s a great deal. Thank you to all the staff, see you again soon.

Lovely experience with Beth and Steve. Great service. Lovely food. Good ambience Would recommend. Thanks

Was a great night mcvicar band was amazeballs cant wait to see them again

Lovely warm and cosy atmosphere on a cold day. Lovely food and a great menu with loads of choice. Very welcoming and friendly staff.

We used to visit The Blacksmiths regularly for lunch pints with old mates. Today we dropped in for a quick lunch and the beer (Masham’s Black Sheep) was excellent. Shame we can’t say the same about the food. She chose fish and chips and I had Mac n’Cheese. It was ok but not a patch on what it used to be like. Her fish was mainly batter. To be fair there was some fish inside, somewhere, but what there was was dry and tasteless. The batter was almost inedible the whole lot probably hotted up from last week. So, most of it was left and we shot down to Wetherspoons for lunch. What a difference!

Food and service below average. Floor dirty with spillages, I nearly slipped while walking to a table. I was told 4 times that my dog was not allowed in the pub after 8pm. Strange rule I thought. I asked for water for my dog, as I could not find a dog bowl when I looked around. The waitress said she would bring one. When my food arrived I asked again and was told to go outside a find a stack of bowls and water. It would have been helpful if they brought me a bowl since my food had arrived. Sunday night at 8pm was quiet. Some staff were standing around. When I went outside leaving the warm pizza on the table I found a stack of bowls floating in dirty water! I ordered a Handmade stone oven pizza. The menu described as handmade and thin and crispy. The Worst pizza I’ve ever had. The pastry was soggy and thick and it was drowned in red sauce and was very acidic in flavour and not well cooked. It was not a handmade pizza! It was not worth the money. It tasted and looked like the kind of pizza get in fast food outlet trucks, not what you’d expect from a so called gastro pub. St Albans is spoilt for choice when it comes to pubs. I won’t be going back, one of the most disappointing meals I’ve ever had.

We had bottomless brunch in October 2023 and were served by Beth who was brilliant. The drinks were solid as expected and Beth was excellent given that she had to juggle between us and another group who looked very challenging!

Came here on a Friday night for fish and chips. The food and service were both really good. There was a medical emergency with a customer and the doorman dealt with it so professionally, it’s nice to know that the staff their have proper training if anything were to go wrong.

Beth was absolutely fantastic! She was such a great host! Customer service 10/10 We will definitely be back with the girls

Tash was amazing! Great server, always keeping the drink full and lovely food! Would defo come again!

Went to the bottomless brunch, was tasty food and good service. Tash was our server, very efficient and nice to deal with. Would recommend for sure!

We had a fantastic bottomless brunch here. Beth our server was very attentive and amazing. She made the experience great! I would recommend this bottemless brunch.

awesome time, Beth was fantastic with her service and friendly and couldn't fault anything, definitely will come back

Alfie was our waiter today and he was fantastic. He was so kind to us, and really made out bottomless brunch great. It was so fun, all because of Alfie. He was also aware of when we needed another drink, and we never went without one. 10/10 having a bottomless brunch, and even MORE recommend having a bottomless with Alfie. Thankyou so much :)

Alfie was our waiter today and he was fantastic. He was so kind to us, and really made out bottomless brunch great. It was so fun, all because of Alfie. He was also aware of when we needed another drink, and we never went without...

Bottomless brunch for 12! Bit sceptical how tge staff would keep the drinks flowing for so many of us but Beth, our server, was amazing. There wasn't a moment we didn't have a drink in our hand. Food was delicious but took a little longer...

Went for a family bottomless brunch this weekend. Great value and great service from Beth! She was a superstar. Will be back for more Aperols and chicken wings soon

Booked the ‘Forge’ for a family and friends gathering, Steve and his team were very accommodating. Some of us turned up early and he even put the TV on for us to watch sports whilst we waited for everyone else to arrive, food was nice...

Great pub, Peroni on draft, good food and sports, what more could you want?

Amazing bottomless brunch, Charlie was very accommodating, kept us topped up and happy! Top man! Highly recommend!